CHINA – UNITED STATES
China and the United States have agreed to open a communication channel regarding the risk of accidents linked to “super-intelligence”. The two also reached a new agreement on coal, the White House reported. This follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's official visit to Washington, where he met with his US counterpart, Donald Trump. The commitments were outlined in a fact sheet accompanying the visit, which highlights the central challenges posed by artificial intelligence. A statement announced a “U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue to exchange views on risks and benefits” of the technology. It must be noted that the two leaders agreed to use the term SI, as the US president does, rather than AI. The next meeting is scheduled for November.
YEMEN – SAUDI ARABIA
At least 71,000 children (out of 130,000 people) have fled their homes in Yemen over the past three weeks due to the escalating fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, UNICEF reported. The UN agency warns that hunger and displacement are exposing minors to increasing risks. Meanwhile, regarding the war, two drones launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh were reportedly intercepted. In Saudi Arabia, alerts were issued overnight for the cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha, though not for the capital itself. Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces claim to have seized control of the strategically important Numan mountain range in the southern province of Lahj following clashes with the Houthis. In an unusual move, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, also weighed in on the war, urging the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen and Saudi soldiers deployed at the front to remain united against the Houthis and to defend Saudi territory and Islam's holy sites.
PAKISTAN – AFGHANISTAN
Pakistan thwarted an attempted attack from Afghanistan in the Gulistan border area, killing several members of the Afghan Taliban. Security sources in Islamabad reported the incident but provided no details regarding the cross-border assault. Tensions between the two countries, formerly allies but now enemies, have recently reignited after months of relative calm, following a raid on a police facility in the northwest last week that left at least 24 people dead.
VIETNAM – NORTH KOREA
Vietnam and North Korea intend to strengthen defence cooperation following recent “positive results” and talks held this week in Hanoi between the two countries' deputy defence ministers, Nguyễn Trường Thắng and Ryo Chol Ung. The two maintain diplomatic relations dating back to the Cold War and are among the five countries worldwide governed by communist regimes, alongside China, Cuba, and Laos. Last month, Hanoi announced plans to build a memorial and renovate a cemetery dedicated to North Korean troops who died during the Vietnam War.
SINGAPORE
Singapore’s population rose by 1.6 per cent in June over the previous year, reaching a new high of 6.21 million, government sources show. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city-state has seen steady population growth, driven by a 3.7 per cent increase in foreign residents, who now number 1.98 million. However, the rise in the migrant population could be a source of concern for political leaders in a country where land scarcity impacts both employment and the cost of living.
SRI LANKA
Yesterday the Sri Lankan parliament approved a constitutional amendment extending the tenure of high-court judges by two years. The measure is part of a series of steps aimed at clearing a massive judicial backlog and reduce the prison population following deadly prison riots. Delays in legal proceedings, sometimes spanning years, have fuelled a crisis in the prison system: 22 facilities designed to house approximately 11,000 inmates currently hold over 41,000, including thousands of people held in pre-trial detention.
RUSSIA – GEORGIA
Georgia has purchased a record amount of wheat from Russia since 2020. August imports reached US$ 15.8 million, the highest figure in six years, according to data from the Georgian statistical service. The data show that imports of Russian wheat increased 1.9-fold in September and 1.5-fold year-on-year. From January to August, imports of Russian wheat rose by 32 per cent, reaching US$ 66 million. Russia remains Georgia's primary supplier.
KYRGYZSTAN
The Kyrgyz parliament has adopted a resolution setting the date for the next presidential election for 27 January 2027. According to early indications, the election campaign is set to start on 22 or 23 December. Any Kyrgyz citizen aged at least 35 who speaks the official language is eligible to run. Candidates must not hold foreign citizenship and must have resided in Kyrgyzstan for at least 15 years. Individuals with a criminal record are ineligible to run for the presidency.
